In preparation of arrival of these beautiful items, could somebody please help me locate a thread here that explains how to 'break in' a hagi item?

Magokorodo's entries sort of address this (particularly if there happen to be any leaks). I recall seeing something here ages ago, but I think it might be buried in a thread somewhere, and I'm having trouble searching for it...!

There is also differences of opinion of stove boiling. I have never risked putting any of my Hagi in a pot, with a cloth or not. So just to offer a different approach: I put water on to boil. Then I clean and warm the cup by running it under the sink faucet hotter and hotter, finger washing it and then just letting it sit in the sink as the hot water overflows it. Then I sit it in a bowl and pour the boiling water into and over it. Let it sit till cool. That's it.

These don't seem to be the type that will leak since the glaze seems to fully coat the inside. But we will see of course.

Yes, there are differences in opinion and methods. I have used this for 150 Hagi (last count) without any problems ... and I am quite careful ... er A.R. about it. Placing the Hagi in the water when it is just warm and making sure the water never boils is critical. No moving or bouncing Hagi.

However, pretreat how you like, like how you pretreat.

Interestingly, sellers have included info stating to place your new Hagi into boiling water for hours. And leaving it in the water for 8 hours.

I have left pieces in hot water that never boiled for up to 8 hours, this was vintage Hagi that I think sat around in its box for many years and it took 1-2 of these treatments to get rid of the extreme earthiness. I actually have to retreat one set for a 3rd time before I use it again.

IMHO and in my experiece, the more porous the Hagi piece, the more treatment it may require. Follow your nose!!!

Also ... after each use, I fully dip in very hot water and towel dry. The hot water will heat the Hagi clay so it will dry out much quicker. I actually have a pot that I have on the stove all the time, it is reserved for teaware cleaning. I then recycle the hot water for other uses. (Tokoname kyusu dry much better with this as well)

Victoria wrote:Well it's not a competition, but I have a substantial amount of Hagi myself so I feel I am well qualified to offer an alternate method.

As when brewing tea there is no "right way". Just what works for you and what you are comfortable with.

I am very excited to see these in person!

Competition, definitely not, I am sorry if you took my comment that way. I was not stating this as a personal qualification, but simply a statement of fact and that it has not harmed any Hagi using this method 150 times personally. And some Hagi have actually needed this more intense treatment.

Done with care, there is no reason it would harm a Hagi.

Likewise, cannot wait for this EXTREMELY long awaited Hagi to arrive, having waited 9-10 months.

IPT wrote:Now, now, no fighting!

Did I see you've done this for 150hage?????

All yours?

Who is fighting, certainly not me. I simply am stating I have done this method for 150 Hagi.

Counting... Chip, are you the type that pauses and reminisces while doing such things? (I have that problem when 'cleaning' books and such), haha.

Anyway, thanks to both Vic and Chip for the info. I am currently reading through the 76 pages of that thread!

At present, I think I will be using Chip's method for the cup (ever so gently). But I think I will be using Victoria's method for the mizusashi... that's quite large, and I don't think I want to boil up enough water in my 10-gallon stock pot...

i have always used room temp filtered water to give my newly purchased hagiyaki a long soaking and then begin using it - or put it aside to dry for a later use.likewise, after i use my teaware i will clean in hot tap water - then give it final rinse in filtered water and let to dry.

rdl wrote:i have always used room temp filtered water to give my newly purchased hagiyaki a long soaking and then begin using it - or put it aside to dry for a later use.likewise, after i use my teaware i will clean in hot tap water - then give it final rinse in filtered water and let to dry.

Me too. I'm really obsessed with avoiding scale stains (hard water over here). I would never soak any of my teaware in regular tap water and always make sure the last water my cups or pots are in contact with is filtered water. The water for the last rinse should be hot as well in order to make the teaware dry much faster.

Not trying to take this too far off topic but honestly, I think it would be a good thing if TeaChat had FAQ "sticky" topics with instructions like this on things like Hagi, Tokoname, tea brewing, tea storage etc. It would save people a lot of time going through 76 page threads or laborious searching and it would make TeaChat an even better resource. It may also prevent repeated asking of the same questions (which I am sure I have been guilty of myself on occasion).

When I prepped my very first Hagi pieces, I boiled a large stockpot about 3/4 filled with water... then turned it down to a very low simmer. I pre-heated my pieces in cool, then warm, then warmer, then hot tap water, and then immersed them in my pot. I put a cloth in underneath them, just in case. I watched for a few minutes, had some very teeny bubbles in the water, and no jiggling of the pieces. So, I went on about my business around the house. A few minutes later, I heard "bump-jiggle-rattle-bump" sound coming from the kitchen. My heart jumped up to my throat and I RAN to the stove... they were ever-so-slightly bobbing up and down, thumping on the bottom of the pan very gently. I turned my heat down to the lowest possible setting and tried to settle my heart down to a normal speed.

I left my pieces in this hot bath for about 3-4 hours, let it cool naturally, washed in warm water afterward, and sniffed for earthy odor. I've prepped all of my pieces this way, minus the bump-and-jiggle stage. On about half of the pieces I own, a 2nd round was conducted, and the other half did fine after one bath. I haven't had to do a third on anything.